The Head of the Department of
Foreign Relations (DFR), Minister Falah Mustafa met today with the Slovakian
Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Miloslav Nad to discuss furthering bilateral relations
between the Slovak Republic and Kurdistan.

The meeting was also attended by the
Assistant Head of the DFR, Ms. Siham Jabali and the Honorary Consul of the
Slovak Republic, Mr. Ahmed Gerdi.

Ambassador Nad was pleased to be in
Kurdistan and commended the KRG on its efforts in developing the region, and
added his country’s desire to bolster bilateral relations across many sectors.

He spoke about Slovakian efforts to
grant visas to the people of Kurdistan through the office of a partner country
in Erbil by the end of this year. In addition, he informed the Minister of his
government’s willingness to upgrade their diplomatic representation in
Kurdistan in the near future.

Minister Mustafa welcomed the
Ambassador’s visit and reiterated the KRG’s willingness to consolidate its
relations with Central and Eastern Europe and stated "we can learn and benefit
from the expertise of countries such as Slovakia in various fields.”

The Minister went on to brief the
delegation on the developments between Erbil and Baghdad, highlighting that the
upcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq and the provincial elections in
Kurdistan, scheduled to take place in less than two weeks, which would define
the future political landscape of the country. He added that the KRG is
committed to the Iraqi Constitution, a democratic system and genuine
partnership.

Finally, both sides discussed the
upcoming Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC 2014) scheduled for May in Bratislava,
to which Minister Mustafa has been invited. Minister Mustafa’s attendance will
help boost KRG’s engagement with Central and Eastern Europe – consolidating
relations with the EU member states goes in line with the KRG’s open door
policy.